Updated 12:15 p.m. June 28.
Polluted air from Canadian wildfires is once again impacting Pennsylvania, including Centre County, on Wednesday.
The state Department of Environmental Protection has issued a Code Red Air Quality Action Day for Wednesday for all of Pennsylvania
Code Red indicates air pollution levels will be unhealthy for everyone.
“On a Code Red Air Quality Action Day, young children, the elderly and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should avoid outdoor activities, and everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion,” according to a DEP news release.
DEP had previously issued on Code Red for Wednesday in a 23-county area of western Pennsylvania and Code Orange, meaning unhealthy for sensitive groups, for Centre and seven other counties in the north-central part of the state.
Air quality conditions, however, degraded overnight as smoke from the wildfires moved into Pennsylvania and the Great Lakes Region, and average Air Quality Index readings for the entire day will likely be in the Code Red range throughout the state, according to DEP.
“Concentrations of smoke will likely be high throughout the day in western Pennsylvania and increasing throughout the day in eastern Pennsylvania,” DEP wrote in the news release.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Air Quality Index uses standardized color codes for forecasting and reporting air quality. Green means good air quality; yellow means moderate air quality; orange means unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups; and red means unhealthy pollution levels for all.
The State College area had been at green on Tuesday with an Air Quality Index of 38, according to AirNow.gov. As of noon on Wednesday, the local Air Quality Index was 153, which is in Code Red range.
Smoky air is expected to continue to impact the state through Friday, with possible relief on Saturday, according to DEP.
“Conditions will likely be worse in the morning as a natural weather phenomenon called an atmospheric inversion will keep smoke filled air closer to the surface, and prevent air from higher elevations to mix with air closer to the ground,” DEP wrote.
Smoke from the wildfires is expected to contribute to higher concentrations of fine particulate matter, which can be made up of hundreds of different chemicals, according to the DEP. Residents in Air Quality Action Day areas are encouraged to voluntarily help reduce fine particulate matter air pollution by avoiding the open burning of leaves, trash and other materials, and avoiding the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.
It marks the second time in less than a month that smoky air from wildfires in eastern Canada has impacted Pennsylvania and other parts of the United States. On June 7, the entire state was under a Code Red alert and air quality remained at unhealthy levels for several days, forcing the cancelation of events in Centre County such as the Special Olympics Pennsylvania Summer Games and a State College Spikes game.
